


To good company

by anamia



Series: The daemon!jolras AU [9]
Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 10:29:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1004331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anamia/pseuds/anamia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But enough about men! They've chosen to abandon us in the face of such a glorious afternoon, so we really shouldn't do them the honor of talking about them."</p><p>Wherein Musichetta and her friends enjoy a well deserved girl's afternoon out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To good company

**Author's Note:**

> Henriette is not technically an original character. She is the "girl of five louis" referenced in Bossuet's introduction. There's a long complicated multi-leveled pun that explains why fandom has named her Henriette. 
> 
> There is very little point to this fic except that this fandom is tragically lacking in ladies being friends with each other. Musichetta's daemon has been mentioned before in this 'verse but, for reference, has the form of a ferret and is named Dante.

When a knock sounded on her door one spring afternoon Musichetta opened it with the expectation of coming face to face with one of her boys. She had few other visitors and even fewer who would drop by unexpectedly. On the threshold, however, was not one of her boys at all but rather two young women. The shorter of the two, dressed in a rather daringly cut emerald-colored dress, smiled brightly at her. Her white fox daemon stood at her feet, tongue lolling from his mouth as a testament to the heat of the day.

"Dianne!" Musichetta said, smiling herself. Dante came forward to greet the woman's daemon. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Dianne laughed. "We had plans with the boys, but some minor crisis prevented them from coming after all. It would be a shame to waste the afternoon, and if our men are busy surely yours will be too, so we thought we'd invite you along and have fun without them." Her grin turned conspiratorial. "They think we've gone home to wait for them, of course. You know how men are; it's as if we don't exist unless we're out with them. Oh, have you met Henriette incidentally?" She nodded towards the other woman, a well-built redhead in a much more modest pale blue dress. She held a large basket in her arms and her daemon, which had the form of a small green lizard, rode on her shoulder.

"I haven't had the pleasure, actually," Musichetta said, smiling at the redhead. "Though certainly I've heard quite a bit about you. Lesgle is quite infatuated. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance at last."

Henriette laughed. "He certainly hasn't been shy in expressing his admiration," she said. "It's refreshing, actually."

"Shyness in men is often endearing and occasionally useful, but on the whole I prefer boldness," Dianne agreed. Then, "But enough about men! They've chosen to abandon us in the face of such a glorious afternoon, so we really shouldn't do them the honor of talking about them. Chetta, are you free?"

"Just let me fetch my hat," Musichetta said. "I won't be a minute." Dante followed her into their room, sitting back as she selected the appropriate hat and settled it over her carefully pinned braids. He nodded his approval when she found the right angle.

When Musichetta returned to the front door she found Dianne and Henriette talking about a play they'd gone to the night before, one Musichetta had not yet found the time to see. Henriette filled her in on the story as they made their way down the hall, Dianne cutting in with her opinions on the various actors, both as a professional actress gauging their talent and as a discerning and cosmopolitan woman gauging their looks.

"...legs for _miles_ , I assure you," she was saying as they stepped out onto the street. "The trousers they've put him in do them no favors, but that's easily handled if one has some imagination."

"I liked the other one better," Henriette said. "You know, the blond one in orange. He had a lovely voice, and those cheekbones." She smiled in fond recollection.

Dianne shook her head. "Not to my taste," she said. "Not bad, really, but I like my men with some meat on their bones. And that costume was appalling, it really was. I tell you, a man of his complexion, dressed in _orange_? If I didn't know better I'd say the lead had him sabotaged so he wouldn't attract all the women."

Musichetta raised her eyebrows. "You think he didn't?" she asked.

Dianne laughed. "I know the lead," she said. "He, well, let's just say that he doesn't feel threatened at all by how much his fellow actors attract women." She raised a meaningful eyebrows as both Musichetta and Henriette covered giggles with their free hands.

"A pity really," Dianne's daemon whispered to Dante. "His daemon's _beautiful_ , though really she should have settled as a snake." Musichetta giggled harder as Dianne winked at her.

"Speaking of attracting women," Henriette said. "Or, rather, not attracting women, have either of you read that new pamphlet going around? The one urging all good sons of France to discount feminine follies?"

Musichetta groaned. "Yes," she said. "Unfortunately."

"I don't see what's so unfortunate about it," Dianne said. "I haven't had that much fun in quite a while _and_ it started the fire quite well. What more can you ask of a pamphlet?"

"I prefer the ones that don't make me seethe," Musichetta said dryly.

"It wasn't even clever about it," Henriette said with a sigh. Her daemon nodded. "I can forgive the writers their politics if they're clever about it, but this fellow managed to be wrong _and_ dull, and that really is unforgivable. I'm surprised you were even able to laugh at it Dianne."

"It did help that it came after a bottle and a half of wine, I suppose," Dianne said. "And we imitated Blondeau as we read it, of course."

"Of course," Musichetta agreed. The three turned a corner and entered a public garden, one already liberally scattered with people. "Perhaps I'll try that next time I have the misfortune of coming across such things."

"Do," Dianne advised. "It livens up the whole experience remarkably, particularly if the caricature comes complete with commentary from the audience."

"Who exactly was doing the reading?" Musichetta asked.

"Oh we switched off," Dianne said. "I couldn't let him have all the fun. Now, I think we were supposed to postpone the feast until the boys could spare the time to join us, but I'm feeling rather in the mood for refreshments this afternoon, aren't you?"

"I paid for them anyway," Henriette agreed. "Certainly let us not let it all go to waste."

Musichetta nodded her agreement. The three quickened their step slightly, seeking out a good place in the shade to spread out. It was not long before they had claimed a spot beneath a large tree and were unpacking Henriette's basket, which proved to contain bread, cheese, pastries, and, surprisingly, champagne. Musichetta looked at Henriette in askance.

"It was specifically requested," the latter said. Her daemon scampered down from her shoulder as she sat and went to join Dante and the white fox on the grass where the three of them quickly fell into light conversation. "It's unfortunate that the one who did the requesting can't be here to drink it, but that's hardly our fault."

Musichetta laughed. "Indeed not," she agreed, settling herself on the grass and tucking her skirts around her knees. Henriette began passing out glasses and pieces of bread while Dianne took it upon herself to pour the champagne and Musichetta began cutting the cheese.

"To good company," Dianne proclaimed, handing filled glasses to the other two.

"To good champagne," Musichetta offered.

"To someone else's poor planning," Henriette said and with a peal of laughter the three drank.


End file.
